Cornelius Zabriskie Wallkill: Cornelius Matthew Zabriskie of Goshen Injured In Walllkill Scaffold Accident On Inwood Drive
TOWN OF WALLKILL, NEW YORK (January 2, 2020) – A 78-year-old man from Goshen identified as Cornelius Matthew Zabriskie was injured after falling from a scaffold while building a concrete stairwell on Inwood Drive.
New York State Police are saying that the accident took place around 9:20 a.m. on Saturday December 28th. For reasons that remain under investigation Cornelius Matthew Zabriskie was injured after falling from the scaffold holding him up.
Paramedics rushed to the scene of the collision in order to help the victim. Cornelius Matthew Zabriskie was transported to the Orange Regional Medical Center in order to get treatment for serious injuries.
Police detectives in the Town of Wallkill and OSHA are investigating the scaffold fall in order to determine what went wrong. This is the third fall related construction accident in the Town of Wallkill in the past 6 weeks.
Liability In Wallkill Scaffold Accidents
Issues with scaffolds are a common cause of construction accidents. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “An estimated 2.3 million construction workers, or 65 percent of the construction industry, work on scaffolds. Protecting these workers from scaffold-related accidents may prevent some of the 4,500 injuries and over 60 deaths every year (Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2003 and 2004 data for the private sector), at a savings for American employers of $90 million in workdays not lost.” Nearly 72% of these accidents were caused by planking or support giving way. There are a number of safety measures construction companies should take in order to prevent scaffold accidents including:
- Providing workers with fall arrest systems
- Ensuring every scaffold has a safe means of access
- Ensuring scaffolds are able to support up to four times the intended max load
- Ensuring scaffolds and rigging systems are inspected before every shift
- Ensuring scaffolds have appropriate guardrails, midrails and toeboards
Property owners and general contractors are held strictly liable when workers are injured after falls from scaffolds. Under New York Labor Law 240(1) the “Scaffold Law” property owners and general contractors must take measures to ensure that workers are protected when they are working on elevated platforms. This includes instances when a worker falls or is struck by a falling object. As long as the worker that fell was doing some type of repair, alteration, demolition or construction they will typically be covered by the statute. Victims of scaffold falls tend to suffer very serious injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head trauma
- Organ damage
- Lacerations
- Head injuries
Any person that is injured in a scaffold accident may be able to seek justice through a bodily injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills, future medical bills and pain and suffering. It’s important that evidence is properly collected and preserved after an accident. A construction accident attorney can examine all of the facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating A Town Of Wallkill Scaffold Accident
We at Pulvers, Pulvers & Thompson extend our thoughts and prayers to Cornelius Matthew Zabriskie and his family as he continues to recover. Any person that may have seen what happened should reach out to OSHA as they continue to investigate. These types of accidents are largely preventable when the proper safety procedures are being followed. It is our sincere hope that measures will be put in place to prevent additional incidents like this.
